Microbial community response to addition of polylactate compounds to stimulate hexavalent chromium reduction in groundwater.

To evaluate the efficacy of bioimmobilization of Cr(VI) in groundwater at the Department of Energy Hanford site, we conducted a series of microcosm experiments using a range of commercial electron donors with varying degrees of lactate polymerization (polylactate). These experiments were conducted using Hanford Formation sediments (coarse sand and gravel) immersed in Hanford groundwater, which were amended with Cr(VI) and several types of lactate-based electron donors (Hydrogen Release Compound, HRC; primer-HRC, pHRC; extended release HRC) and the polylactate-cysteine form (Metal Remediation Compound, MRC). The results showed that polylactate compounds stimulated an increase in bacterial biomass and activity to a greater extent than sodium lactate when applied at equivalent carbon concentrations. At the same time, concentrations of headspace hydrogen and methane increased and correlated with changes in the microbial community structure. Enrichment of Pseudomonas spp. occurred with all lactate additions, and enrichment of sulfate-reducing Desulfosporosinus spp. occurred with almost complete sulfate reduction. The results of these experiments demonstrate that amendment with the pHRC and MRC forms result in effective removal of Cr(VI) from solution most likely by both direct (enzymatic) and indirect (microbially generated reductant) mechanisms.

Silylene hydride complexes of molybdenum with silicon-hydrogen interactions: neutron structure of (eta(5)-C(5)Me(5))(Me(2)PCH(2)CH(2)PMe(2))Mo(H)(SiEt(2)).

Reduction of CpMoCl(4) with 3.1 equiv of Na/Hg amalgam (1.0% w/w) in the presence of 1 equiv of dmpe and 1 equiv of trimethylphosphine afforded the molybdenum(II) chloride complex Cp(dmpe)(PMe(3))MoCl (1) (Cp = 1,2,3,4,5-pentamethylcyclopentadienyl, dmpe = 1,2-bis(dimethylphosphino)ethane). Alkylation of 1 with PhCH(2)MgCl proceeded in high yield to liberate PMe(3) and give the 18-electron pi-benzyl complex Cp(dmpe)Mo(eta(3)-CH(2)Ph) (2). Variable temperature NMR experiments provided evidence that 2 is in equilibrium with its 16-electron eta(1)-benzyl isomer [Cp(dmpe)Mo(eta(1)-CH(2)Ph)]. This was further supported by reaction of 2 with CO to yield the carbonyl benzyl complex Cp(dmpe)(CO)Mo(eta(1)-CH(2)Ph) (3). Complex 2 was found to react with disubstituted silanes H(2)SiRR' (RR' = Me(2), Et(2), MePh, and Ph(2)) to form toluene and the silylene complexes Cp(dmpe)Mo(H)(SiRR') (4a: RR' = Me(2); 4b: RR' = Et(2); 4c: RR' = MePh; 4d: RR' = Ph(2)). Reactions of 2 with monosubstituted silanes H(3)SiR (R = Ph, Mes, Mes = 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl) produced rare examples of hydrosilylene complexes Cp(dmpe)Mo(H)Si(H)R (5a: R = Ph; 5b: R = Mes; 5c: R = CH(2)Ph). Reactivity of complexes 4a-c and 5a-d is dominated by 1,2-hydride migration from metal to silicon, and these complexes possess H.Si bonding interactions, as supported by spectroscopic and structural data. For example, the J(HSi) coupling constants in these species range in value from 30 to 48 Hz and are larger than would be expected in the absence of H.Si bonding. A neutron diffraction study on a single crystal of diethylsilylene complex 4b unequivocally determined the hydride ligand to be in a bridging position across the molybdenum-silicon bond (Mo-H 1.85(1) A, Si-H 1.68(1) A). The synthesis and reactivity properties of these complexes are described in detail.

Synthons for coordinatively unsaturated complexes of tungsten, and their use for the synthesis of high oxidation-state silylene complexes.

Reduction of Cp*WCl4 afforded the metalated complex (eta6-C5Me4CH2)(dmpe)W(H)Cl (1) (Cp* = C5Me5, dmpe = 1,2-bis(dimethylphosphino)ethane). Reactions with CO and H(2) suggested that 1 is in equilibrium with the 16-electron species [Cp(dmpe)WCl], and 1 was also shown to react with silanes R2SiH2 (R2 = Ph2 and PhMe) to give the tungsten(IV) silyl complexes Cp*(dmpe)(H)(Cl)W(SiHR2) (6a, R2 = Ph2; 6b, R2 = PhMe). Abstraction of the chloride ligand in 1 with LiB(C6F5)4 gave a reactive species that features a doubly metalated Cp ligand, [(eta7-C5Me3(CH2)2)(dmpe)W(H)2][B(C6F5)4] (4). In its reaction with dinitrogen, 4 behaves as a synthon for the 14-electron fragment [Cp*(dmpe)W]+, to give the dinuclear dinitrogen complex ([Cp*(dmpe)W]2(micro-N2)) [B(C6F5)4]2 (5). Hydrosilanes R2SiH2 (R2 = Ph2, PhMe, Me2, Dipp(H); Dipp = 2,6-diisopropylphenyl) were shown to react with 4 in double Si-H bond activation reactions to give the silylene complexes [Cp*(dmpe)H2W = SiR2][B(C6F5)4] (8a-d). Compounds 8a,b (R2 = Ph2 and PhMe, respectively) were also synthesized by abstraction of the chloride ligands from silyl complexes 6a,b. Dimethylsilylene complex 8c was found to react with chloroalkanes RCl (R = Me, Et) to liberate trialkylchlorosilanes RMe2SiCl. This reaction is discussed in the context of its relevance to the mechanism of the direct synthesis for the industrial production of alkylchlorosilanes.